Exam View: 27 April 2018 Current Affairs

Current Affair of 27 April 2018, Exam View.

NATIONAL

NITI Aayog launched Atal New India Challenge

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of the NITI Aayog recently announced to launch the Atal New India Challenges, which came into being following Prime Minister’s clarion call to bring innovations and technologies relevant to the people.

Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, Dr Rajiv Kumar highlighted the need to ensure inclusive and innovative solutions
This initiative will focus our efforts towards solving problems in core areas, which would have a direct impact on improving lives of our citizens and will also generate employment. The topics placed in different phases are aligned with India’s needs and through the support of innovation, we are ready to make a giant leap towards a New India.
Under the Atal New India Challenge.

Climate-smart agriculture

Fog vision system for road and rail

Prevention of Rail failure using emerging technologies

Predictive maintenance of Rolling Stock

Alternate fuel based transportation

Smart Mobility

Electric Mobility

Safe transport

Instant Portable Water Quality Testing

Affordable Desalination / Recycling Technology

Waste management recycling / reuse

Garbage composition devices

Quality of compost

Decentralized composting

Mixing blades for composting

Waste in public spaces

Dissuading public littering

The programme is open to Indian companies registered under the Companies Act 1956/2013, primarily a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) as defined in the MSMED Act, 2006. It is also open to Start-Ups, as defined by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Government or private R&D organizations (other than a Railway R&D organization), academic institutions, academicians, or even individual innovators are encouraged to apply, provided they partner with entities with appropriate manufacturing capabilities.Read Full Article Here

Gauri became Brand Ambassador for Haryana

Shooter Gauri Sheoran made brand ambassador for Haryana’s health programmes
The Haryana government has appointed international shooter Gauri Sheoran the brand ambassador for its two health-related programmes.

Sheoran has also been named the brand ambassador for Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), an initiative aimed at covering defects at birth, deficiencies, diseases, and development delays including disability.
Gauri Sheoran, daughter of Haryana IAS officer Jagdeep Singh, had won gold in the 7th World University Shooting Championship held in Kuala Lumpur in March.
The decision was announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at the launch of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign.
Immunization services had been improved considerably in the state as a result of which “Haryana has brought down its infant mortality rate by 6 points – from 43 per 1000 in 2016 to 37 per 1000 live births.
Under the RBSK, the target beneficiaries are children enrolled in government and government-aided schools and anganwadi centres (AWCs). As many as 13.9 lakh children have availed treatment services under the RBSK.

Cabinate approve:

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for the increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Raw Jute.

The increased MSP is based on recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.

The Jute Corporation of India will be the Central Nodal Agency to undertake price support operations at MSP in the Jute growing states.

Cabinet nod to BRICS pact on medical products

The government approved the pact with medicine regulatory agencies of BRICS nations on cooperation in the field of regulation of medical products.

The MoU would facilitate better understanding about the regulatory aspects between the parties and could help in increasing India’s export of medical products to BRICS.

The approval was given by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister.

Cabinet approves Schedules Areas in Rajasthan

Cabinet approved inclusion of some areas in Rajasthan under the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution so that the tribals living there can avail benefit of protective measures under its provisions.

The Cabinet revoked the Constitution order (CO) dated February 12, 1981 and promulgated a new CO.

No additional funds are required as to be expended on account of the declaration of Scheduled Areas.

Indu Malhotra to be sworn in as Supreme Court judge, the first woman to make it from Bar

Senior advocate Indu Malhotra would be administered oath of office by Chief Justice Dipak Misra tomorrow morning at the Supreme Court, making her the first woman lawyer to enter the top judiciary directly.

61-year old Malhotra’s name, cleared by the government, was one of the two recommended by the collegium to be elevated to the apex court bench.
Her name was approved by the SC collegium on January 10, with a resolution of the apex court saying, “In our considered opinion, at present, Indu Malhotra, senior advocate, is eminently suitable for being appointed as a Judge in the Supreme Court.”
She was appointed as the standing counsel for Haryana in the apex court from 1991 to 1996.Read Full Article Here

INTERNATIONAL

India, Malaysia to hold military exercise

The Indian and Malaysian armies will hold a two-week military exercise beginning April 30 in Malaysia as part of efforts to bolster defence cooperation.
The joint exercise ‘Harimau Shakti’ will take place in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik in Hulu Langat district of Malaysia, the Defence Ministry said.
This is the first instance wherein a joint training exercise of this magnitude involving Indian and Malaysian soldiers is being organized on Malaysian soil.Click here to Read full Article

MoU between India and Sao Tome and Principe

The Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Sao Tome and Principe on cooperation in the field of Medicinal Plants. The MoU was signed on 14.03.2018.Background
India is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of biodiversity, having 15 agro-climatic zones. Out of the 17000-18000 species of flowering plants, more than 7000 are estimated to have medicinal usage in folk and documented systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy (AYUSH System of Medicine).
About 1178 species of medicinal plants are estimated to be in trade of which 242 species have annual consumption levels in excess of 100 metric tonnes/year. Medicinal plants are not only a major resource base for the traditional medicine & herbal industry but also provide livelihood and health security to a large segment of Indian population. There is global resurgence in traditional and alternative health care systems resulting in world herbal trade which stands at US$ 120 billion and is expected to reach US$ 7 trillion by 2050. Moreover, there are a large number of medicinal plants, particularly those found in tropical region, which are common to the two countries given similar geo-climatic factors.Click here to Read Full Article

BUSINESS

India to grow at 7.4 percent in 2018, says IMF

The International Monetary Fund, IMF has said that India is expected to grow at 7(point)4 percent in 2018 and 7(point)8 percent in 2019 and would re-emerge as one of the fastest growing major economies in the period.
The world agency said India will leave its nearest rival China which will grow at 6.6 in 2018 and 6.4 percent in 2019.

IMF said, two major economic reforms, demonetisation and GST, resulted in a slightly lower growth rate of 6.7 percent in 2017. It said that India’s projected growth provide some offset to China’s gradual slowdown.

The BCCI recommended India opener Shikhar Dhawan and women’s team player Smriti Mandhana for the Arjuna award.
The 32-year-old Dhawan is presently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Sunrisers Hyderabad and has been a regular across all three formats for India. Ever since a debut Test hundred against Australia in 2013, Dhawan has been a crucial cog in the Indian batting line-up.
The 21-year-old Mandhana had played a key role in India reaching the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup in England last year. Her prolific run this year has seen her grab a career-high fourth position in the ICC women’s rankings.